I see your point, Keta, but MSY is a catch and kill paradigm, so while we're probably not talking apples and oranges here, I think we might be talking, say, apples and pears. Close, but with some important distinctions.

In theory, a vast majority of encounters in C&R fisheries do not result in mortalities. Of course, some (generally those who would rather directly harvest any available fish themselves for profit) argue that the mortality is much higher than the few percent C&R advocates apply. Whatever it is, learning the truth should be very valuable in determining the validity of C&R fisheries as a means of providing opportunity without posing excessive danger to wild fish, and I think it's time we tried. If it were as successful as many of us believe it would be, it would demonstrate that C&R fisheries are a legitimate option where catch and kill fisheries can't be responsibly executed (on the much more crowded of late OP rivers, for example). If not, we could say we tried, lump C &R in with all the other failed strategies, and move on (permanently close all sport fisheries for wild steelhead). Obviously, none of us want that, but while I have argued that pay to play and outright closures punish the wrong people, I value the long-term survival of wild steelhead more than I value my ability to fish for them.

I fully recognize that any flavor of fishing has an impact, and while I strongly suspect that impact is much less in a C&R fishery, if we learn otherwise (using science; not anyone's made up numbers), I'll admit I'm wrong and hang up my gear if that's what it comes to.